If mother nature has ever smiled on earth, it musthave been in Chamoli - that enchanting land in the arms of the Himalayas. During the monsoons, a thousand blooms burst forth in all brilliance in the fascinating "Valley of Flowers". With an amazing wealth of set a glow with the golden rays of the sun, Chamoli is one place that reverberates with spirituality and has a strong association with the number of Hindu religious myths and legends. While the stress and pressures of the Jet-Age catch up with every city-dweller, Chamoli calls you to a wonderful re-discovery of your roots. Untouched by the pollution and rigmarole of urban life, Chamoli waits to open vistas of nature in their pristine glory.

Badrinath was established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. According to legend Shankara discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made ofSaligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple. The Badrinath temple is the main attraction in the town. The temple is approximately 50 ft (15 m) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof. The facade is built of stone, with arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to a tall arched gateway, which is the main entrance. The architecture resembles a Buddhist vihara (temple), with the brightly painted facade also more typical of Buddhist temples. Just inside is the mandapa, a large pillared hall that leads to the garbha grha, or main shrine area. The walls and pillars of the mandapa are covered with intricate carvings. The opening date of Badrinath Temple is fixed on Basant Panchami by Raj Purohit and closure date is fixed on Vijaydashmi by Mandir Committee. The temple opens every year in the month of April-May & closes for winters in the third week of November. Joshimath is the winter deity of Badrinath. Special pujas are also performed on behalf of individuals. Every puja must be preceded by a holy dip in the Tapta Kund. Some of the special morning pujas are Abhishek, Mahaabhishek, Geeta Path. Some special evening pujas are Aarti & Geet Govind. Such pujas are to be booked in advance. The temple opens at 0430 hrs & closes at 1300 hrs. Once again it opens at 1600 hrs & closes at 2100 hrs after the divine song Geet Govind. Rawal is the administrator-Pujari of the temple well versed in puja ceremonials & Sanskrit language and is expected to be celibate..

Some festivals celebrated in Badrinath are: Mata Murti ka Mela, Krishna Janamashtami and Badri-Kedar Utsav.

approachable from Karna Prayag by a motorable road on the way to Ranikhet, are remains of 16 small temples. Seven among them are ancient ones, belonging to the late Gupta period. The credit for building these temples is generally given to Shankaracharya. The main temple of Narayan is distinguished by a raised platform in the pyramidal from where the idol is enshrined. Sculpted out of black stone, the idol of Lord Vishnu is a metre high.

the temple is at an elevation of 3641mts and is surrounded by dense forests. It is located at Subain near Tapovan, about 17kms east of Joshimath on Joshimath-Lata malaria route. Pilgrims have to trek beyond Tapovan, up the Dhauliganga river. It is believed that a day will come when the present route to Badrinath will become inaccessible and Lord Badrinath will then be worshipped here. Hence the name 'Bhavishya Badri' which literally means the future Badri.

the temple is at an elevation of 3641mts and is surrounded by dense forests. It is located at Subain near Tapovan, about 17kms east of Joshimath on Joshimath-Lata malaria route. Pilgrims have to trek beyond Tapovan, up the Dhauliganga river. It is believed that a day will come when the present route to Badrinath will become inaccessible and Lord Badrinath will then be worshipped here. Hence the name 'Bhavishya Badri' which literally means the future Badri.

Situated at an altitude of 1380mts and at a distance of 7kms from Joshimath is Animath, the place where several centuries before the advent of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the idol of Badrinath was enshrined and worshipped. The idol is known as Vriddha old or the first Badri.

the temple of Yog Dhyan Badri, one of the five Badri's is located at Pandukeshwar just 24kms short of Badrinath on Rishikesh - Badrinath Highway. The image, depiciting a meditative posture of the Lord, is worshipped here. The pandavas are said to have handed over Hastinapur to king Parikshit and retired here.

a flat platform on the river Alaknanda. Hindus perform propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors.

3kms away is a beautiful meadow where the footprint of Lord Vishnu is seen on a boulder.

devoted to the mother of Sri Badrinathji. Other important temples includes Sesh Netra Temple and Urvashi.

a recess in the river, near Tapt Kund forming a pool from where the Badrinath idol was recovered.

a pyramidal shaped snowy peak (6600mts) towering above Badrinath presents a dramatic sight. It is popularly known as the "Garhwal Queen".

Prahalad Dhara, Kurma Dhara, Urvashi Dhara, Bhrigu Dhara and Indra Dhara.

Narad Shila, Varah Shila, Garurh Shila, Markandeya Shila and Narshingh Shila.

1.5kms away is a boulder having am impression of the legendary serpent, better known as the Sheshnag's eye.

natural thermal springs on the bank of the river Alaknanda, where it is customary to bathe before entering the Badrinath Temple.

as the name suggests, Vasundhara is a magnificent water fall. This place is 5kms from Badrinath out of which 2kms is motorable up to Mana.

Hemkund (Snow Lake) Sahib, as the name itself suggests, is a high altitude lake (4329mts) surrounded by seven huge snow covered mountains, which are collectively called Hemkund Parvat. Close to the lake is a sacred Gurudwara that is a pilgrimage centre for Sikhs and Hindus from all over the world. It is said that Shri Guru Govind Singh Ji meditated on the very banks of this lake where a number of sages and religious teachers from the Hindu mythology, including Rishi Medhasa of the Markandeya Purana & Lakshman, the brother of Lord Ramperformed penance. The lake is the source of Laxman Ganga (Hem Ganga) stream that mergers with the Pushpawati stream flowing from the valley of flowers, at Ghangaria. From this point on, the river is called Laxman Ganga. The best season to visit Hemkund is between July and October.

it is the head quarter of Chamoli district, situated at an elevation of 1308mts above sea level. It is a picturesque place with salubrious climate. An ancient temple of Lord Shiva is the main attraction of the town. Owing to its natural beauty and fresh and serene atmosphere, Gopeswar is becoming a major attraction of the tourists. According to historians, the name Gopeswar has associations with the name of Lord Krishna.

while on an expedition to Mt. Karmet, Frank S. Smith, an English mountaineer explore and Botanist, discovered the Valley of Flowers. Bustling with beautiful, lively and vibrant colours this park spread over an area of 87.5kms has the largest collection of wild flower species. Hidden from the probing eyes of civilization, this valley had been known to the inhabitants as the Bhyunder Valley. Legend associate this valley with area from where Hanumanji collected "Sanjeevani" herb to revive Lakshman.